Disposition of ash generated in a charcoal grill used for cooking has long been a problem from the standpoints of safety, cleanliness, convenience and ability to maintain a continuous burn. Some grills have an impervious metal body with no provision for discharge of ash and cooking must be interrupted after a few hours for removal of ash buildup which would otherwise extinguish the fire. Newer grills have vent ports to provide air for combustion and serve as an escape for ash which upon release is free to be carried away by the wind either before or after reaching an insufficient storage area. Ash not properly confined can be hazardous when hot and a filthy nuisance at any time.
Kettle grills have become extremely popular but thus far lack adequate ash capture capability and storage capacity due to space limitations between grill support legs. This invention accommodates grills of all sizes and permits placement of an extraordinarily large and volumious collector in close proximity to vent ports from which ash emanates. Slots in the collector's sidewall provide clearance for the grill's legs thereby allowing the collector to be raised close to the grill while the sections of the collector sidewall between slots function as windshields so ash can fall into the collector's storage area before being blown away by the wind. The collector's entry leg slot is deeper and of special shape to permit placing the collector between the grill's legs. A baffle is needed inside the collector for isolating the entry leg slot from the ash storage area to permit ash build up rather than spilling out of the entry leg slot, especially when a collector full of ash is removed from under the grill. The specially shaped entry leg slot of the collector and associated baffle are critical innovations of this invention because they allow the collector to be easily removed from under the grill while maintaining a complete upright orientation so none of the ash contents are spilled. After the collector is placed under the grill and raised into position it is suspended from a bolt protruding from the bottom center of the grill which is engaged by a hanger bar assembly equipped with a latching feature affixed to the top of the collector. The latching mechanism is activiated by thumb pressure on operation tabs positioned adjacent to the collector's handles. The user can conveniently grasp both collector handles and then operate the innovative latching mechanism with one or both thumbs to engage or release the locking mechanism.
Advantages of the charcoal grill discharge collector are that it is easy to use, stays securely in place, safe for the user and the environment, eliminates most of the ash mess associated with charcoal grilling and considerably extends the interval between ash removals.